FIVE people including a three-year-old boy fled for their lives from a blazing terraced house.

The fire broke out in Olive Lane, Darwen, at 4.30am yesterday and is believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette.

Two people are thought to have been asleep in the living room when it caught fire.

A man in his 30s, managed to raise the alarm and guide a woman in her 20s, a 17-year-old male, another man in his 30s and a three-year-old boy to safety from upstairs.

They all escaped through the back door and were treated at the scene by paramedics. They were taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary and later released.

Sub Officer Allan Burgess said: "On arriving at the scene flames were coming out of the living room and it was well alight.

"The owner of the house directed us to the source of the fire. It is thought to have started from the careless disposal of smoking material." Two firefighters were sent into the burning house.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "We could smell the fumes coming in through our front door as our hall runs next to their lounge. It was so busy with people you could hardly see the house but I am just glad everyone got out all right.

"The had only moved in a couple of weeks ago."

The living room of the house was destroyed by fire and the rest of the house was severely damaged by smoke and heat from the flames.